Man cleared of trying to injure wife

A man was cleared of trying to injure his wife by ramming her car with his own after a magistrate heard she had forgiven him and refused to testify in the case against him.

Raymond Mangion, 45, of Luqa had been charged with trying to seriously injure his wife Carmen when he deliberately crashed into her car on September 25, 2003.

Magistrate Abigail Lofaro heard how Mrs Mangion had filed a police report saying her husband had deliberately crashed into her car and had tried to seriously injure her.

But Mr Mangion insisted that on the day of the accident he was driving behind his wife's car because he needed to speak to her. He had tried to attract her attention by gesticulating but she drove on. He said he never intended to harm her.

The magistrate also heard how Mrs Mangion had forgiven her husband and did not wish to testify in the compilation of evidence against him. Consequently, the police did not prove the charges brought against Mr Mangion and so he was cleared.

Police Inspector Yvette Farrugia prosecuted.